Arcane on Netflix : A Legendary League of Its Own

To start, I do not play League of Legends. I have little background on the game other than it is one of the best MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) games around. I was drawn to this series because of the animation, and it intrigued me. So, I jumped in with the knowledge that I have. That turned out to be an excellent choice.

Based on the game created by Riot Games, the story of ‘Arcane’ begins with sisters Violet and Powder. Both are part of a rag-tag group of youngsters on an unsanctioned heist in the city of Piltover. This singular action leads to a chain of events that serve as the backdop of the story of some of the well-known, and used, champions found on League of Legends. From there, the lore and world-building expands that even viewers with a cursory knowledge of the property (like myself) can dive into this epic story, and not feel left out.

In fact, one of the major strengths of ‘Arcane’ is its ability to draw the audience in, and immerse them in the world without any need of looking outside the material you have before you. Granted, having a background on the League of Legends will help you enjoy this series. However, knowledge of the game, or lack thereof, will not diminish an appreciation of this beautiful animated series.

For me, there are table top roleplaying game elements that I can draw upon to relate to ‘Arcane’. The mention of Shimmer and Hextech reminds me of Juicer technology and Techno-magic in one of my favorite games, Rifts. Both Shimmer and Hextech serve as important plot elements in the story that drive these characters onwards to an as of yet undefined end. The uncetaintly is not a negative element of ‘Arcane’. It allows for future installments of the series to sprout out, and, after the success of this first set of nine episodes, I would expect more seasons to follow.

As for the animation, it is cutting edge, and definitely draws new viewers to the property into its world. The designs give an apt cyberpunk feel to the story, and adds to a charm unique to ‘Arcane’. In effect, the visuals properly complement the story that unfolds before your eyes as we delve into the lives of Violet/Vi, Powder/Jinx, and all the other League of Legends champions that appear in ‘Arcane’. Though it does not stop at the origins of each character. It continues the story beyond that, and provides viewers with more story plots to come as current ones expand while some end.

Season one of ‘Arcane’ ends in the same way it began…in explosive fashion. Though the relationship of Vi and Jinx serve as the driving force of the story, other characters such as Jayce and Caitlyn provide their own motivations to keep the story going. If the tension between characters was not enough, the building tension between Piltover and Zaun just adds more intrigue to an already eventful series. The conflict is reminiscent of H. G. Wells classic ‘Time Machine’ between the Morlocks and Eloi.

Overall, ‘Arcane’ came a bit of a surprise to me because I enjoyed it in spite of my lack of knowledge with League of Legends. This is an excellent animated series on Netflix so if you are into a great cyberpunk story with outstanding visual storytelling, you should give this series a try. ‘Arcane’ is now streaming on Netflix.